


Snowed In and Under

by hutchabelle



Series: Everlark Holiday Bingo 2020 [3]
Category: Hunger Games Series - All Media Types, Hunger Games Trilogy - Suzanne Collins, The Hunger Games (Movies)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Alternate Universe - Roommates/Housemates, Best Friends, Cooking, Domestic Fluff, F/M, First Kiss, Fluff, Fluff and Humor, Friends to Lovers, Friendship, Kissing, Power Outage, Roommates, Snow, Snow Angels, Snow Day, Snowball Fight
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-23
Updated: 2021-01-19
Packaged: 2021-03-11 01:28:12
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 4,348
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28266885
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/hutchabelle/pseuds/hutchabelle
Summary: With snow in the forecast, Peeta makes a run to the grocery store so he can keep his roommate and best friend Katniss full of hot chocolate.
Relationships: Katniss Everdeen & Peeta Mellark, Katniss Everdeen/Peeta Mellark
Series: Everlark Holiday Bingo 2020 [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2070777
Comments: 10
Kudos: 92





	1. At Least a Foot

**Author's Note:**

> Square filled and prompt: G4, hot chocolate (image) 
> 
> There’s something thrilling about the rush of grocery store shopping when a storm’s on the way. I have many, many fond memories.

The wind blows, and Katniss Everdeen looks up from her book and stares out the window. It’s dark, only a lone streetlight shining dimly in the gloomy night. There’s nothing quite like winter in West Virginia, especially as the days grow shorter, counting down to the equinox. She hates it—hates everything about the cold and the snow and the freezing temps that remind her of all the bad things that have ever happened to her.

Peeta Mellark, her roommate and best friend, knocks gently, and she shifts her gaze toward him. He smiles encouragingly at her, a mug of hot chocolate in his hands and holds it out for her to take. She accepts gratefully, taking a sip and closing her eyes at the taste. Peeta makes the absolute best hot chocolate in the world. He always knows just the right number of marshmallows to add, too. It’s like a sixth sense of his, and she’s the one lucky enough to benefit from it.

“Just watched the weather forecast, and it looks bad,” he informs her. “I think I better make a grocery store run in case we’re stuck for a few days. We’re running low on the staples. You want anything in particular?”

She looks at him, blinking like an owl. She has half a mind to tear into him, but that’s going a bit far, even for her. She’s never been the touchy-feely type, but she’s always civil. At least until someone proves they deserve otherwise.

“You’re going out? It’s starting to snow.”

“Well, yeah,” he answers, but he tries to placate, as well. “It won’t be long. I promise. We need some things. You know how it gets on this street when there’s significant accumulation, and all forecasts are calling for that. I know we won’t starve, but do you really want to be trapped here without any way to make more of that drink you’re holding?”  
  


She considers her mug and shakes her head sadly. Peeta’s right. They’re almost out of milk and eggs and bread, and they don’t have too many rolls of toilet paper left either. They both know better, so Peeta’s only correcting the mistake both of them helped make.

“Will you get some of those frozen cheese dough things? They’re so good,” she asks hopefully. “And maybe some cans of lamb stew. You know those are my favorite.”

“Anything sweet?”

“Not if you’ll keep me stocked in this.” She indicates her drink, and he nods in acknowledgement.

Crossing to her, he brushes a lock of hair off her forehead and kisses her there. “Be back soon. Leave the light on for me.”

The house is quiet after he leaves with only the howling wind blowing outside and the creaks and groans of floorboards filling the silence. He won’t be gone long, she knows, perhaps only an hour before he’s safely home and bearing dozens of bags with her favorite snacks. They’ve known each other for so long, they practically communicate by telepathy. The only reason he bothered to ask her what she wants from the store was to let her know he was leaving.

She gives up trying to read the book. Instead, she moves to the living room and stands at the back window where she can watch the woods behind her house as the snow turns from swirling flakes to fat, heavy droplets. It’s the kind of snow that shuts down interstates and breaks tree branches if there’s enough accumulation, and that looks likely. The woods turn from gray to white in less than twenty minutes.

The ground’s covered by the time Peeta returns, and he’s laden down with bags of food. She helps him unpack them, arranging it all on the countertops to see what treasures he brought home. He regales her with humorous tales of frantic shoppers as they fought over the last box of pancake mix when there were plenty of bags of flour nearby. Peeta pities those who can’t make their own. He always claims they’re better from scratch.

His purchases are mostly practical—bread, milk, eggs, soup—except for things he bought because he knows she likes them. Her family never ate pre-packaged food when she was growing up. They couldn’t afford it, so Peeta indulges her fascination with it when he can. Her favorite is the box of frozen donuts, which she tucks into a corner of the freezer next to the cheese buns he bought at her request.

“It’s coming down hard,” he muses as he looks outside. “I’d say schools will be closed tomorrow since there’s no way to clear the streets until this stops. We won’t have to go into work. You want to stay up late and watch a movie or two? I can make all the bad things, and we can work our way through them.”

“Yes on the movie. No on the snacks,” she answers. “If we’re going to be snowed in for a few days, I don’t want to blow through our junk food in the first few days. Besides, there’s roast and potatoes in the crock pot, and it smells delicious.”

“Sometimes I forget how practical you are.” His grin is infectious, and she shrugs her sweater around her tighter and shivers as the wind howls.


	2. Candles Flicker

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Katniss Everdeen can’t remember the last time she allowed herself to enjoy a snow day. It’s all fun and games until the power goes out.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Square filled and prompt: N1, by candlelight 
> 
> I went to the beach yesterday, so this is my way of wishing I had snow for Christmas.

Katniss can’t remember the last time she let herself enjoy a snow day. It helps that Peeta encourages her, but she also gives herself permission to forget about all other responsibilities and simply enjoy herself. She knows she has a hard time giving up control, but the foot of snow outside makes her feel like a little kid again. It’s magical.

After their breakfast of pancakes, they go outside and frolic in the snow. It’s perfect for making snowmen and snowballs, and they roll it into spheres and lob them at each other until they’re both laughing so hard tears gather in their eyes. Katniss manages to get a few to connect with Peeta’s face, and his cheeks burn bright pink with slush dripping in runny rivulets till they fall from his jaw.

He charges her, laughing hysterically, and tackles her into a massive drift. She looks up at him, a wide smile stretching her face, and giggles when he presses his cold nose to her cheek and follows it with a smacking kiss. Rolling off her, he grabs her gloved hand and looks sideways at her.

“I have two words for you. Snow. Angels.”

They play throughout the morning, finally returning to the warmth inside once the sun reaches its apex and begins its descent. As they make a late lunch together, a hearty stew that’s one of Peeta’s favorites, clouds roll across the sky, and the snow starts to fall again.

“It’s that thick stuff,” Peeta observes and switches on the TV. “Let’s see if we can get a forecast. It’s always more accurate from the locals than trying to find it on an app.”

Katniss nods and wanders upstairs to take a shower and change. She’s just finished drying her hair when the lights go out. She hears Peeta curse downstairs and grins. He’s such a worrywart sometimes, but she knows he’s already rummaging for the candles and grabbing some of their frozen snacks and heating them so they won’t thaw in the freezer.

“Guess we’re not continuing the movie marathon tonight,” she singsongs when she rejoins him downstairs. “I don’t expect they’re going to be repairing lines while it’s still doing _that_ out there.”

“Oh, I have other ideas,” he says. He’s being sly, and she shakes her head at him. She knows him too well enough to be aware of his propensity to create something out of nothing. When he’s ready, he’ll tell her. Until then, she grabs a book and curls up on the couch under a pile of blankets. With her fleece and covers and the warmth of the heated oven, it’s not too cold without the furnace working.

As the sun sets, the room grows darker. Peeta’s placed candles in various spots that create flickering light that allows her to continue to read. She’s in the middle of a chapter, lost in the world of a young heroine who fights for her family against a corrupt government, when Peeta sits down next to her and hands her a bowl.

“Snow ice cream. There’s so much out there. I figured this was a must.”

Her eyes twinkle at the treat, and it sparkles back with sweetened glee. The first bite tastes like her childhood. The second she feeds him. When she takes the third, she presses her tongue against her spoon and tastes him. A sound she didn’t know she could make punches from her, and she draws the spoon free and stares at him. His eyes flicker to her lips, and she licks them nervously. Something’s shifted between them in the glow of candlelight, and she wants to know how much better it could be than the perfection their friendship already is.

Her lips are cold, but his are warm. They melt together, sweeping back and forth, brushing chapped lips in disbelief that they’ve stepped over the unspoken line they’ve followed since they met. When she pulls back and opens her eyes, his are still closed, his face a mask of fulfilled wishes and blissful contentment.

“My father always told me that magic happens when candles are lit.”

Her whispered words pull a smile from him, and she brushes her fingertips along his brow. He pushes into her hand, nuzzling her palm before turning into it and kissing gently.

“Every day with you is magic.”

“So is this ice cream.”

He chuckles and tucks his head onto her shoulder. “Eat,” he insists. “Before it melts. Everything else can wait.”

So, she does, and he waits. When she kisses him again, it’s even better than the first time.


	3. Kiss Me More Times

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Katniss likes kissing Peeta, but the couch is terrible.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Square filled and prompt: O4, kisses

“You know, we shouldn’t just keep sleeping on the couch because we don’t want to go to bed alone,” Katniss says with a grin.

She can’t quite believe she’s this happy. Peeta, her roommate and best friend, is now…well, she has no idea what exactly he is, but the sheer number of kisses they’ve exchanged since he fed her snow ice cream indicates he’s something else to her now.

Peeta pushes a stray lock of hair behind her ear and rubs the tip of his nose against hers. “Oh, yes, we can,” he insists. “Don’t tell me what I can and can’t do, Katniss Everdeen. So pushy. Such a bully.”

She snorts because he’s a moron. He’s a wonderful, gorgeous, sweet idiot, and she loves the crap out of him. That should scare her, but it doesn’t. She loves him. She always has. He’s been her friend for a long time. There’s nothing wrong with loving her best friend. Beyond that, she’s not sure. How far her feelings go is completely up in the air, but caring about Peeta Mellark is nothing new.

“Well, really, I just can’t take another night on this lumpy couch. I’m old. My poor body.”

“You’re two months younger than me, and your body is banging,” he refutes with a roll of his eyes. “You can say it, you know. You’re not going to hurt my feelings.”

“What’s that?”

“That you’d like to sleep in your own bed by yourself tonight.”

She shook her head. “I didn’t say that.”

“Katniss, we kissed. I’m not asking you for a lifetime commitment. I’m not even expecting sex. We have time to figure all that out. I mean, there are a million inches of snow outside. It’s not like either of us are going to escape or anything.”

“How do you know me so well?”

“Years of experience,” he answers with soft blue eyes. “And I’ve been paying attention. I remember everything about you.”

“Oh, no!” she laughs. “Please don’t remember that time I forgot the words to the national anthem.”

“You sounded great until your mind went blank.”

“Or the time I walked around my classroom for three teaching blocks before someone told me I had toilet paper on my shoe.”

“If you’ll remember, I stuck some to my own in solidarity.”

Katniss nods solemnly. “How about the time I brought cookies to the Secret Santa thing, and I’d used salt instead of sugar?”

“I don’t think _anyone’s_ forgotten about that.”

“Hmmm,” she muses. “That’s a really good point.”

“I have a lot of those.”

“Well, then, I think I’m going to need just a little bit more convincing before I’m ready to believe you.”

Peeta tugs her closer to him and murmurs, “What can I do to make you trust me, sweetheart?”

“Kiss me more.”

“How many times?”

“More times.”

He chuckles and brushes his lips against hers. “More times, huh?”

“Yeah. One time or two times or more times. Just don’t stop.”

“I think I can do that.”

“I know you can.”


	4. Come In Three

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It’s still snowing, and Katniss is ready for more.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Square filled and prompt: O1, cabin with snow

“Hey.”

Katniss leans back into Peeta’s chest as he wraps his arms around her waist and nuzzles into her neck. It’s been three days since they started whatever this is, and it’s getting more and more difficult to stop herself from jumping him. He makes her feel so damn good.

She’s not sure when her feelings became more, but they have. It must have happened when she wasn’t looking because she loves him. How much, she’s not sure, but it’s more than affection and caring for her friend. Peeta matters to her in a way no one has for a very long time.

“Hey, back,” she murmurs with a grin.

“Really coming down out there. Looks like they’re right about another few inches.”

“Eighteen inches, Peeta. Eighteen,” Katniss sighs. “We’re never going to get out of this house again, are we?”

“Oh, I think we’ll probably manage to. Even if I have to strap on some snowshoes and walk out of here, it’ll happen.”

“You don’t have any snowshoes,” she chuckles.

“That’s true, but I can figure something out if we get desperate enough.”

“Desperate, huh?”

Peeta leans in and kisses her neck. When she stretches up to allow him better access, he blows warm breath on her skin until she shivers. She melts into him. His lips trail along the column of her neck and down to that ticklish spot just above her collarbone. He’s working hard if he can get to that spot when he’s standing behind her, but he manages. He always ends up surprising her with how competent he is. He’s more than that; he’s brilliantly talented, and she still can’t quite understand why he’s chosen to hitch his star to her wagon.

“Mmmm. You taste like sugar,” he sighs. “Must be all that hot chocolate I’ve fed you over the past few days.”

“Good thing you went to the store when this first started. How would I have survived if we didn’t have cocoa?”

She turns in his arms and is immediately bashful. He’s looking at her with an expression that makes her toes curl. It’s too intense. He can see into her soul, and it’s terrifying sometimes how much he adores her.

“Hey,” he chides. “None of that.”

She shakes her head, but he nudges her chin up with his index finger. Smiling softly, he rubs his thumb along her cheekbone and cradles her jaw in his calloused palm. The left side of her mouth quirks up in a sheepish grin, and then she buries her face in his chest. His arms close around her, and he gathers her to him. They stand for long minutes as the snow falls outside. It really is gorgeous—just like her best friend and roommate turned whatever he is.

“What do you want to do tonight?” he asks as the sky turns dark. “Anything you’d like to try?”

“I can think of a few things?”

“Yeah?”

“Yeah.”

She lifts her face up to his and waits for his lips to descend. When they brush against hers, she chases them. Insistent, she opens her mouth under his and allows his tongue to sweep inside. A choked groan escapes her, and he matches her with one of his own.

“Katniss—”

Her hands find the edge of his shirt and slip underneath to settle on gloriously warm skin. His breath hitches, and she tugs him closer to her. Plastering herself against him, she explores his torso inch by glorious inch until he’s panting into her mouth.

“Got any idea what I might want to do?” she asks in an awed whisper.

“Sweetheart…” he groans and almost swallows her whole.

He picks her up and carries her to his bedroom. Carefully laying her on the duvet, he sprawls out next to her and allows his hand to roam her body. When he cups her breast in his hand, she arches into him, desperate for more friction. His leg slides between hers, and she wraps her thighs around his and rubs against him.

He mutters a curse and backs away. When she whimpers her disapproval, he drops his forehead to her shoulder and groans, “I’m too close already. Have to slow down.”

“Don’t slow down,” she breathes. “Don’t.”

He balks at her request, but she’s insistent. Tugging and pulling him on top of her, she wraps her legs around his waist and bucks upward against him. The weight of him on top of her coupled with his ragged breath in her ear is such a turn on. He pumps his hips, grinding them into her, and she squirms until his bulge hits just right. A moan rips from her, and he goes feral. He ruts against her, harder and faster, until they’re both frantic. It builds inside her, and she grinds against him until she snaps.

“Peeta!” she cries. Her voice is a desperate plea, but she’s already there.

He’s all heat and muscles and frenzied rocking until he grunts and tenses. He shakes as he falls apart, growling and panting as an orgasm rocks his body. He slumps against her, his weight crushing her into the mattress for several long moments before he groans and rolls off her to lie at her side.

“Holy fuck,” he mutters, and his cheeks burn bright red. “I’m— I’m not sorry, but—”

“That was amazing,” she whispers, and he snaps his eyes to her face.

“You’re not…disappointed?” he asks. Vulnerability shines in his clear blue eyes, and she threads her fingers through the curls at the nape of his neck.

“We both came. Why in the world would I be disappointed?”

He flushes, and she admires the way the pink disappears into his collar. She wonders just how far down it goes.

“I just… I mean… I can go longer.”

He’s flustered, and it’s the most adorable thing she’s seen in a long, long while.

“Oh, I’m counting on that,” she teases. “You didn’t think that was all I wanted to try tonight, did you? That was only round one.”

Peeta’s eyebrows arch high enough they almost disappear into his hairline.

“Really?”

“Get your clothes off, and keep me warm.”

Peeta scrambles off the bed so fast, he almost dumps her onto the floor. His eagerness is contagious, and soon they’re exploring each other in ways that keep them very warm on such a cold, snowy evening.


	5. Always Prepared

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Another day. Another few inches. Another opportunity for happiness.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Square filled and prompt: O3, snowed in

Katniss wakes in a cozy ball of warmth. It’s still dark, but the wind blows like crazy. Peeta’s next to her, still asleep with his bare chest rising and falling in a steady rhythm.

How did they get here? It’s been a whirlwind few days, and it feels almost like they’re living in a dream world. It’s not that she doubts her feelings for him or his for her, but she is a little concerned this won’t last once the snow melts and they go back to their real lives. Sighing, she grabs a fuzzy orange blanket that matches his navy sheets and wraps it around herself. She’s standing at the window looking out when he wakes.

“Come back,” he mumbles.

“I’m right here.”

“Too far away.”

She glances over her shoulder at him, her hair a tousled mess and falling over the blanket wrapped around her shoulders. She smiles at him in invitation, and he tosses back the covers and sits up. Her eyes bug at the sight. They were naked together all night, but this is the first time she’s seen him from a distance. The sight is glorious.

He walks over and tugs her to him. Tipping her head up, he drops a gentle kiss on her lips before nudging her mouth open and diving in. Her grip loosens, and the blanket drops to the floor at her feet.

“Looks like we’re still snowed in,” he murmurs against her lips.

She nods. “Definitely not going anywhere today.”

“I have some suggestions for exercise.”

“Same.”

“Let’s start now.”

His voice is low and husky, and she practically melts as it rolls over her. She nods, and he smooths his hands up and down her back. He cups her ass and drags her against him where he’s rapidly hardening. She whimpers at the feel of him, hot and rigid against her stomach. When her hand grips him, he moans her name and tucks his hand between her legs.

“Don’t hold back,” he whispers against her temple. “Tell me how good it feels.”

His middle finger presses against her clit and rubs in a tight circle until her legs tremble. He kisses her deeper and replaces his finger with this thumb. Her eyes roll back in her head when he nudges her open and curls his fingers inside her. She lets out a lusty wail at the onslaught, but her hips move of their own accord. It’s not long before she’s riding his fingers with abandon.

“You think I can get you to come just from this?”

She bites her lip and nods. Chuckling, he hooks her leg over his hip and watches her face as pleasure ripples through her. She’s barely lucid. He’s insanely good at this, and she wants it to last forever. He’s impatient, though, and is relentless. It’s not long before she’s shaking against him as he drives her over the edge.

“That was so good, sweetheart, but I have more in mind for your wakeup call.”

She protests, but he doesn’t listen. In a flurry, she finds herself back on the bed with her legs hanging over the edge. He drops to his knees and hooks hers over his elbows. Spreading her open, he ducks his head, and she screams as his mouth finds purchase. It feels so impossibly good that she’s gasping in seconds.

He’s got to be a wizard because there’s magic happening between her legs. His tongue and hands and hot breath and lips and…

“Oh, shit! Peeta!”

He grunts and nuzzles further into her, drinking her release and driving her over the edge again. She’s boneless, floating on air as her body floods with endorphins. When she can focus, she looks down to see him grinning at her. His face is wet, and she realizes it’s her smeared across his chin and mouth.

“Feeling okay?”

She whimpers in response, and he gives a hearty laugh. “So beautiful. Love the way you respond to me. Sexy as hell.”

“Show me,” she whispers.

“What?”

“Stand up, and show me,” she repeats.

“You want to…?”

“I want to watch, and I want it on me.”

Peeta’s eyes darken as he rises to his feet. He’s hard, jutting proudly upward with fluid pearling at the tip. He steps between her legs and leans over to kiss her as he puts his hand on himself. His eyes flutter closed, and she reaches so she can place her palms on his hips.

“Show me how much you want me,” she orders softly, and his grip tightens on his length. “Use me as lube, if you need to.”

“Fuck, Katniss,” he hisses. He hesitates, but the temptation is too strong. He reaches between her legs and coats his fingers with her slickness. When he starts pumping again, he’s already unsteady. She watches the expressions flit across his face. It’s not long before his chin drops, and he’s gasping in that wordless way that precedes an orgasm.

“I’m gonna—” he grunts, and she leans forward to catch it.

He shouts as he climaxes. It splatters across her face and chest, and she grins at the lewdness of being covered in each other’s arousal. His knees give out, and she catches him as he slumps onto the bed. They lay tangled together, sticky and panting as he comes back to himself.

“I fucking love being snowed in with you.”

Laughing, she tucks her face into his shoulder. “And we’re not getting out of here any time soon, so there’s going to be a lot more of this.”

“Can I confess something?” he asks tiredly.

“Of course.”

“I didn’t go to the store just to get you hot chocolate.”

“You didn’t?”

“No,” he chuckles. “I might have picked up a box of condoms. You know. Just in case.”

She can’t help but laugh at his sheepish expression. Damn him for being so optimistic about a snowstorm, but she’s not too broken up about it. If she’s honest, she’s beyond grateful he’s so well-prepared.

By the time the snow melts, they’ve used most of the box, and this time she doesn’t protest when Peeta heads back to the store to replenish their stock.


	6. Honeymoon

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Two years later, and they’re still snowed under together.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Square filled and prompt: O5, sand snowman (TRIPLE BINGO!)

It’s two years later, and this time there’s no snow. Instead, Katniss and Peeta are on the beach and enjoying the sun, sand, and surf while their friends back in West Virginia survive another blizzard. Margaritas have replaced cocoa and matching rings grace the fourth fingers of their left hands.

He asked. She said yes. They kept it simple and saved their money for a down payment on a house instead of a big party.

Katniss smiles as her husband wets sand and makes a tiny snowman before topping it with a Christmas hat. She’s completely snowed under by him.


End file.
